Don’t stress about those Valentine’s Day gifts y’all! I’ve got some suggestions to help you out! I’m starting with a ladies gift guide so fellas, you can go ahead and get something now…no waiting until the last minute this year!

Below I’ve put together some of my personal favorites, along with some other options with good reviews that are high on my list. I’ve included a range of products so there’s something for every gal from the beauty lover and fashion guru to the chef and seasoned traveler.

1. Oh Joy! Travel Collection

Oh Joy! and CALPAK have teamed up on this adorable luggage collection. It just released this week and the designs are so fun! The pieces look really functional as well.

Run her a bath, light that Capri Blue Candle listed above, and give her this amazing face mask. It’s made from real rose petals so not only is it a useful gift, it is a great alternative to roses that are marked way up on Valentine’s Day.

Fenty Beauty has been getting rave reviews so if your lady is in to makeup, something new off this line would make a great gift! My friends are swearing by the Stunna Lip Paint! It can be tough to buy makeup for someone else, but lipsticks and highlighters are usually safe bets. The staff at Sephora is so helpful, and everything can always be exchanged or returned if you get the wrong color. I especially love ordering from sephora.com because there is usually a promo to get a trial size of a product if you spend $25 or more. Plus, you get to pick out three small samples from their assortment with every order. So not only are you getting a great product, you get to try 3-4 others!

Le Creuset Dutch Ovens are a splurge but totally worth it. They last forever and can be used for anything. These heart shaped dutch ovens are cute and the original round shape comes in a bunch of other fun colors!

I love the Christmas episodes of my favorite sitcoms! It has always been a tradition of mine to watch Christmas movies but this year I started going back to also watch the Christmas episodes of old television series. Not sure why I haven't thought about doing this in past years but it will definitely be a new tradition!

Since I was going back to watch these I decided it would be fun to do a round up here to share with y'all! In no particular order I've listed my favorite Christmas episodes below and I hope they bring back some memories for you as well! Let me know in the comments which are your favorites, and any of your favorites that aren't listed!

1. Frasier - Merry Christmas, Mrs. Moskowitz (Season 6)

I am a big Frasier fan...it cracks me up! In this episode Frasier is shopping for a menorah for his son and meets a Jewish woman, Helen Moskowitz, who asks him to take her daughter on a blind date. The relationship advances and Helen decides to visit Frasier's apartment on Christmas Eve, unaware he wasn't actually Jewish. The series of events throughout the visit while Frasier hid decorations (including a tree in the powder room) are hysterical. Niles also dresses up as Jesus and has an allergic reaction to the manger hay.

2. Frasier - High Holidays (Season 11)

Frasier Christmas episodes are sooo good that I had to include two on this list. This is probably my favorite Frasier episode out of all eleven seasons. Thanks to Martin, the decorations in Frasier's living room were abundant and awesome. Frasier's son Freddie is going through a Goth phase and Martin makes a comment about Niles never rebelling as a child, so Niles decides to get high on a weed brownie. Martin ends up eating the brownie and replacing it with a regular brownie, unbeknownst to Niles. While Niles thinks he is feeling the effects he relies on research to act like he thinks he should feel while Martin actually is high, and they proceed to share deep thoughts and munchie food. It is absolutely hilarious!

3. Gilmore Girls - Women of Questionable Morals (Season 5)

Emily and Richard who have previously been separated, are reunited by a stray dog which was freaking adorable. Lorelai goes through a string of bad luck with the snow and decides she hates it until Luke builds her an ice rink in her front yard. That gesture was one of my favorite moments ever between Luke and Lorelai despite the fact Lorelai was hiding interactions with Christopher from him (typical Lorelai).

4. Home Improvement- Twas the Blight Before Christmas (Season 3)

Home Improvement was one of my all time favorite shows growing up. I used to watch it with my Daddy and always loved when Tim turned into an overly competitive Christmas decorator to outdo his neighbor every year. My favorite part about this particular episode is the Christmas program Mark partakes in. The kids line up backwards to spell out "Leon" instead of "Noel" and I thought that was the most comical thing ever when I was little. As an adult, every time I see "Noel" I immediately think of Leon.

5. Friends - The One with the Holiday Armadillo (Season 7)

Ah, yes. The classic Holiday Armadillo. Ross gets his son Ben for the holidays and intends to teach him about their Jewish heritage. Ben is not at all enthused by Hanukkah as he had only been exposed to Christmas traditions. When Ben gets sad about a year without Santa, Ross sets out to find a Santa costume. He couldn't find one so late in the season and instead comes home as "Santa's friend", the Holiday Armadillo. In true Ross fashion it was weird, awkward, and hilarious.

6. OC- The Best Chrismukkah Ever (Season 1)

Seth Cohen was a legend for introducing high schoolers everywhere to Chrismukkah. Although this episode had several rough moments including Marissa shoplifting and driving drunk, Julie vs. Jimmy arguments, and Caleb trying to be sneaky, it wouldn't be the OC if the episode wasn't a full emotional roller coaster with a dash of troubled Marissa. This was also the episode Summer dresses up as Wonder Woman which is one of my favorite outfits of the entire series.

7. The Office- Christmas Party (Season 2)

Not much has to be said about The Office but add a "Yankee Swap", elf ears, and vodka and you've got yourself the most entertaining office holiday party to ever exist.

8. The Andy Griffith Show- The Christmas Story (Season 1)

We watched The Andy Griffith Show every night at my Papa and Granny's house. This was the only Christmas episode of the entire show which is surprising, but it did not disappoint. On Christmas Eve, Ben Weaver insists Andy lock up Sam Muggins, a local moonshiner. Andy complies but he, Barney, Aunt Bee, Opie, and Ellie prepare a feast and bring Christmas to the jailhouse. Ben Weaver is touched by the Christmas spirit and tries to purposely get arrested himself so he wouldn't be alone on Christmas. Sheriff Taylor finds a reason to arrest Weaver, who ends up falling asleep in the cell after finishing a jug of Sam's moonshine. Mayberry has the small-town charm and holiday spirit that reminds me of home during the holidays.

9. The Simpsons - Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire (Season 1)

This was the first full-length episode of The Simpsons and while I used to think my older brother was a total weirdo for liking this show, now that I'm older myself I pick up on the humor and actually enjoy it. Homer plays Santa and the family dog, Santa's Little Helper, is brought home. The episode was nominated for two Emmys and was the beginning of one very successful show.

Will promises to invite Boyz II Men to perform at Nicky's Christening. Desperate to keep his promise, Will sneaks into the radio studio in Carlton's Santa suit to convince the group to perform. His cover is blown and it turns out he had once stolen the girlfriend of Nathan, one of the group members. Boyz II Men ends up coming and sings Silent Night and Phillip reveals that Nicky is actually named after all the members. It doesn't get much better than Will Smith and Boyz II Men in the same episode!

11. The Wonder Years- Christmas (Season 2)

The Wonder Years is another classic. Kevin and Wayne try to convince Jack to buy a color television. Winnie unexpectedly gives Kevin a gift, who in turn tries to find a present for her. The Wonder Years is one of those shows that provides a good kick of nostalgia even if it was set before your time and I always enjoy hearing whatever lesson Kevin learned, especially the true meaning of Christmas.

12. The Rugrats- Babies in Toyland (Season 9)

The babies and their families took a trip to a winter wonderland designed by Stu and the kids are left with Grandpa Lou while the adults walk around. Of course Grandpa Lou falls asleep and the parents get trapped in a makeshift cabin due to a malfunctioning snow machine. After Angelica confronts the actor playing Santa and acts so terrible that the Santa ends up quitting, the babies take off to the North Pole to give Dil a good first Christmas. Angelica learns a lesson and ends up bringing back with presents for everyone. The best things always happened when Grandpa Lou fell asleep!

If you don't laugh at the Golden Girls then I'm not sure we can even be friends. This episode opens with Blanche being playfully chased through the house by a local mall Santa. The girls decide to make gifts from the heart rather than spend money on material things. Rose gives Dorothy a maple syrup spigot and Blanche gives the girls a calendar with pictures of men that have "brought her joy" that year. The girls all plan to visit their families on Christmas Day but get held hostage by a man dressed as Santa at a Grief Counseling Center. They get out thanks to Sophia but their flights get canceled and they end up celebrating Christmas in a diner.

14. Modern Family- Undeck the Halls (Season 1)

A Dunphy Christmas is a bound to be an eventful Christmas! Cam and Mitchell get a mall Santa fired and feel bad so they invite him over for Christmas. Phil and Claire find a burn mark on the couch and cancel Christmas until one of the kids confesses...Luke ends up confessing simply to get back Christmas and soon after they realize the burn was from the sun reflecting off an ornament Phil's dad sent. Speaking of Phil's dad, there is an epic Skype with him doing typical old person things with technology.

15. Hey Arnold - Arnold's Christmas (Season 1)

If you grew up as a Nickelodeon kid in the 90s, you are very familiar with Arnold and the crew. Helga thinks Christmas is all about cash and presents until she has to choose between a gift for herself or Arnold. Arnold searches to find a gift for his secret Santa, Mr. Hyunh, but it's a gift that can't be bought. Mr. Hyunh just wants to be reunited with the daughter he was separated from due to the Vietnam War many years ago. Come to find out, Helga saves the day and is the real Christmas angel.

I have two rules for holiday decorating: use as many lights as you can afford without flipping the breakers and do what makes you happy. Your house doesn't have to look like a magazine cover. It's okay to use mismatched family ornaments and popcorn garland (although it's still hot enough in the South, I'd be worried about ants). Christmas decor should make you jolly, nostalgic, and maybe even a little emotional. Real trees you cut yourself on a farm sure are beautiful, but so are the ones in Food Lion parking lots. Artificial trees work just fine too (especially if you're allergic to the real ones). I've always been a bit of a Christmas perfectionist in my own space, but even I don't follow all the "rules". I mix old and new and no two areas match. So while I'm excited to share my Christmas decorating tips and home tour with y'all, I like to encourage everyone to follow their own style and don't be afraid to throw junk in a spare bedroom or closet before pictures and family gatherings...works every time!

That being said, come on in!

Multi-color Lights Don’t Bite

I couldn’t imagine not having multi-color lights on my living room tree. I always remember our traditional tree in the living room with multi-color lights when I was growing up. Eventually we added more trees with different themes, but the biggest tree always had our family ornaments and multi-color lights. It was the first tree that went up every year and the tree that Santa left our gifts under.

When I met one of my best friends Sarah and her family, the first holiday season we spent around each other they revealed their passion for colorful Christmas lights as well. The tackier the better for them and it was at that point I knew that these were my people. (Sarah’s mom, Sam, even has a current squabble with their condominium for not allowing anything other than white Christmas lights on balconies...the nerve?!?)

I love how classic and elegant (warm) white lights are...I really do. They’re absolutely beautiful. I follow amazing decor bloggers with the most beautiful trees and homes adorned with white lights. At times I’ve questioned if I was too tacky and if anyone would take my decorating seriously if I opted for the colorful lights. But I promised myself a long time ago that when I started this my blogging journey I would never give up my colorful living room tree with multi-color lights. Christmas is meant to be festive. It brings out the kid in all of us and should be as fun as we want to make it.

Dashing Through the Snow

While I knew I was keeping the same colorful tree in the living room this year, I needed some updates and changes. I wanted to keep it as bright and cheerful as I could, but balance out some of the color. I started with the “JOY” greenery from Grandin Road to go above our mantle and worked from there.

I had watched a Facebook Live with Emily Ley and Courtney Whitmore of Pizzazzerie. Courtney mentioned putting her tree on a “riser” to keep kiddos off the bottom ornaments. I could make my tree taller without having to actually buy a larger one?! I was sold. I headed to Lowe's for ideas to make a budget friendly tree riser. I’m sure Courtney’s is more professional than my version, but I ended up with a piece of scrap plywood atop cinder blocks. It was sturdy, level, and worked!

After the tree was up, I had to figure out how to cover this brilliant riser. Tree skirts weren’t large enough and since the tree is busy, I was looking for something very simple. Snow blankets were too thin and transparent so I headed to JoAnn’s and left with soft, white fleece and buffalo snow. I scattered two strings of white lights (with white wires) around the base of the tree, over the plywood, and around the cinder blocks (lol at me decorating cinder blocks). I placed the buffalo snow on top of the plywood to help “fluff” the space so the fleece wouldn’t fall so sharp on the corners of the plywood. And before I knew it, we had an illuminated “snow mound” as a Christmas tree base.

Look how much that "riser" elevates the tree! It's so frustrating when the bottom branches rip off bows so I love that there's more space under the tree for packages.

With “Flake” as my last name, a lot of my ornaments and decorations already had snowflakes on them, so I hit the ground running with this new snow theme. I made DIY “snowball” picks out of styrofoam balls, spray adhesive, and fake snow, then placed them throughout the tree.

I found red ribbon with white snowflakes at Michael’s and made bows for the top of the tree, as well as the garland going up the bannister. It really pulled together the living room by choosing one dominant color while keeping with the snow theme.

I use very simple green garland and make my own bows! Learning to make bows has been a lifesaver for both decorating and gift wrapping!

The mantle was my other priority to upgrade this year. I used fishing line to secure the new JOY greenery and red ribbon to cover the line (and a paper snowflake to hide each nail holding the fishing line). The colorful ball garland is something I’ve had for years from Target. I added simple garland (with multi-color lights, of course) and snowflake ribbon. One of my favorite additions this year is the gold stocking holder from Kirkland’s. I thought it was absolutely gorgeous and after seeing my mom’s reaction when I showed it to her, I knew it was coming home with us! Red felt stockings with white snowflakes coordinated with the ribbon on the tree and banister.

My aunt has a gorgeous ceramic tree I've always adored so I am loving that ceramic trees are coming back in!

These candle holders were an At Home clearance find and I can't ever get enough of taper candles. They are so pretty!

Of course, Bella has to have her own tree. In past years her tree was pink but I decided to switch things up a bit. I got a white pencil tree for a steal during a Michael’s sale. I love how it pulls together all the white “snow” accents in the living room and how the bright ornaments contrast so well on the white. The tree is prelit with white lights but I added some multi-color lights on white wire and they reflect so beautifully off the iridescent tips of this tree.

I only remember one actual White Christmas (life in the South!) and while I’m glad we can bet on safe travels between family during the holidays, I do envy everyone that gets snow for Christmas. It was fun to create a white Christmas in my own way!

Winter WONderland

Since I was young, I’ve been gifted tons of Carolina Christmas ornaments and accessories. I was eventually able to make a Tar Heel tree of its own with them all! I went to put my tree up this year but unfortunately over half the lights had burnt out and after many attempts to revive them, I accepted my fate to replace the tree. I’ve really enjoyed everyone’s flocked trees and while I never imagined myself as a flocked tree gal, I have clearly been on a snow kick and ended up with my first flocked tree.

I often use fabric for tree skirts because you can find fun coordinating prints and adjust the size as you please!

It ended up being a GREAT decision. The Carolina blue and silver ornaments popped like never before. I wanted to do something special to commemorate our 2017 National Championship so I spray painted wood craft letters to spell “champs” down the tree. While there are a few gold Carolina ornaments, I added some rose gold balls to help bring in the gold letters. White ribbon (with metallic glitter snowflakes, of course) trails down the tree and I also used it to make a large bow topper.

I love that I was able to incorporate the snow theme, mixed metals, and school spirit to make this tree so elegant yet fun. I’m officially a fan of flocked trees!

My Uncle Jim gave me this Nutcracker many years ago. It was 1 of 500 made, and when I met my best friend Sarah, she had the matching football player! We displayed them together when we were college roomies!

Details of the Carolina tree!

A Nostalgic Dining Room

Although I'm partial to the multi-color lights, this bright room is a perfect area to play around with lots of white lights.

The dining room is where I embrace the simplicity of white lights and go for a timeless, vintage Christmas vibe. It started with a tree of miscellaneous red, green, and gold balls that I had gotten on clearance one year after Christmas. Kendall’s dad gifted me Kendall’s grandmother’s Christmas china, flatware, and linens last year. It is such an honor to set the table with her pieces! My mom passed along my great-grandma’s gold rimmed drinking glasses as well and it is the most special feeling to know we both have our late grandmothers with us in this room.

Some of the color in the holly has come off the flatware, but my photographer Sara reminded me that it was part of the charm! Everything on our table is vintage except the chargers (Michael's), the napkins (Homegoods), and the wine glasses (Dollar Tree).

My great-grandma's gold rimmed drinking glasses! The matching wine glasses came from Dollar Tree! They have such great drinkware for $1!

In middle school I had started a nutcracker wreath that eventually evolved into its own tree that my mom let me have creative control over, as well as a collection of nutcracker figurines. She insisted I take it all last year for my own home. The prominent colors in this tree are also red, green, and gold so it goes well with the dining room. This year, I thrifted a brass vase and the joy candlesticks to add to the dining table.

My nutcracker collection displayed in the dining room. I love the one with a throwback pic of my brother and I!

I love the different personalities of all the nutcrackers!

The thrifted brass vase and joy candlesticks look great with the Christmas flatware.

I had come across these curtain lights on Instagram and when I realized they were $20 for a 10 ft. x 10 ft. set, I was sold! I hung them on the empty wall in the dining room, behind my bar cart. I love, love, LOVE these lights. Because I wanted a bit softer look, I had a large piece of sheer fabric cut at JoAnn’s and used it as a panel over the lights. I am so impressed with these lights and have tried to convince everyone I know to get a set...for such a large space they’re a great bang for your buck! I may leave mine up all the way through winter!

The curtain lights are so fabulous! Christmas wine and beer labels are decorations themselves!

Moscow mules are great as they double as pretty decor when not in use. The cocktail shaker came from Target!

Miscellaneous

My Dad is known in our family for giving cards. He’s a true Hallmark-er. He even uses the gold Hallmark stickers to seal the envelopes! It has become a tradition that he always gives me the Hallmark musical stuffed animal of the year. I have quite the collection by now but I love them so much! I admittedly have a weird thing about taking the tags off of them, so that's why they're displayed with the tags attached.

I love Charlie Brown and a few of the Hallmark stuffed animals I have are from Peanuts. I had previously used Peanuts fabric as a tree skirt and since I went in a new direction this year with the traditional tree, the Peanuts ornaments and tree skirt were moved to Bella’s tree.

As a huge fan of Southern Living magazine, my friend Sarah (she's seriously my Christmas soul sister) gave me a 1982 Southern Living Christmas book from her grandparents’ house after they passed (seriously, how did I get blessed with all these people willing to share so much with me?!). I got lucky while thrifting and came across other SL Christmas books from 1991-2003. I have enjoyed going through these books for inspiration and even some laughs at a few of the questionable trends that my family followed in our own home at one point or another over the years!

My mom gave me this guy years ago and he has become a greeter in the entryway...I'm a sucker for Flake puns!

I still have all of my Christmas books, as well as some really old ones from Kendall's grandparents. I don't have kids yet but I look forward to being able to read the classics like Jan Brett stories with them. I display these under the big tree as they're all sentimental to me.

The Joy of Christmas

Although I used ribbon and a few new additions to switch things up, for the most part I stick with the same decor each year. Considering I have vintage and cherished family pieces mixed with some new, I’m aware that my Christmas style is all over the place. That’s why I love having multiple trees, so I can use it as an excuse to incorporate different looks in various areas of the house.

Since each area has its own thing going on it’s not easy to name a “theme” for my Christmas decor, but for some reason or another I was determined to come up with one this year. I was leaning towards something along the lines of “joyful” since I have the new JOY greenery and candlesticks.

I kept thinking how each part of our house brings me so much joy. The magic of our traditional tree with multi-color lights and the merry feel of our living room as a whole…the pride and school spirit that my snowy Carolina tree represents...the classic colors and nostalgia of our dining room...the legacy of all the vintage pieces that friends and family have entrusted in me to take care of...every bit of it truly makes me SO happy.

I’m not sure if the whole “joy” idea is trendier this year, or if I’m only noticing it more since I was incorporating it myself, but I have seen so many great decorations featuring that simple three letter word. When I considered the goal of my own Christmas decor, I kept coming back to it. I want to bring that joy and Christmas cheer out of others.

Then I received the December edition of Southern Living magazine and printed on the cover, in big letters it said, “The Joy of Christmas”. That was it...this year’s Christmas theme.

Whether you love multi-color lights as much as I do, enjoy the Nutcracker ballet, dream of a white Christmas, prefer the elegance of white lights and timeless decor, come from a Hallmark family, grew up on Jan Brett books, or whatever it is that puts you in the holiday spirit, I hope that at some point you feel the Joy of Christmas in my home.

Welcome back to the Halloween Home Tour y'all! Part two is all about outdoor Halloween decor with some of my favorite pieces and tips for decorating the yard. If you missed part one of the tour that featured the interior, you can find it here.

My style for the outside is very similar to the inside...festive, fun, not too spooky, a lot of lights, with a bit of traditional mixed in. I really enjoy decorating outside most because it's shares the excitement of the season with the neighbors and even complete strangers driving by. Cars that pass will slow down to get a better look and we've even had people roll down their windows if we happened to be outside so they could compliment us on the decorations! Since we have an elementary school at the end of our road, the kids going to and from school get to see it as well!

The Porch

The porch is where I really bring in the classic and nostalgic decor, especially on the steps, which are usually a mix of both Fall and Halloween. I carefully pick out mums and pumpkins each year as an easy solution to switch up the look or color scheme. This Fall I stuck with simple orange, black, and white and pulled in a bit of purple and cranberry with the mums! I used my grandma's cast iron kettle as a flower pot for the bright purple mum and that's definitely my favorite part of the porch decor this year!

My mom and I went to my favorite produce stand at the NC/VA state line to pick out the pumpkins and mums. They are so much more affordable back home than the stores here in the Triangle! Since it stays warm throughout most of October, I dip the pumpkins in a bleach bath to help keep them from rotting too early.

You can NEVER have enough pumpkins!

I put this fun mirror on the porch to go with the orange, black, and white theme this year! I made the bat by cutting it out of plywood and painting it black. I got the tulle idea from Pinterest as I was looking for something different to fill some ceiling space on the porch!

These strobe lights are perfect for pumpkin buckets! I like that they change rhythm and pace opposed to a standard strobe light.

My dad and I got this skeleton for his house when I was in the FIFTH grade! I still love him!

The Graveyard

Last year I started a graveyard on the side of our yard and it has been such a blast! My dad helped me cut the tombstones out of plywood, then I painted them black and went back over with grey paint using a kitchen sponge. I position floodlights to make the tombstones visible at night and outline the graveyard with standard string lights in Halloween colors. The fence is made from spooky cloth and step-in fence posts. Since this area is beside the neighbor's metal fence, I covered his fence with spider webs. The falling leaves get stuck in it for a natural effect and the green floodlights reflect so well off the white webs!

This year I added these awesome witches with glowing heads from Grandin Road and I LOVE how much they upgraded the whole display. When I was young my dad and I had made a witch's cauldron display out of a flood light and sticks so I used that same idea for these witches! I dug a hole, put an orange flood light in it, and arranged sticks together to cover the light and replicate a fire burning under the cauldron.

The glowing heads are just the right amount of spooky!

I also have to shout out my neighbor Beverly. She's super crafty and innovative and came over multiple times with great ideas. I needed to elevate the witches so they could be seen from the road, but was having problems with the wind blowing them over in the pots I had staked them in. Beverly came over with traffic cones (seriously!) and helped secure the witches by rigging a stand out of the traffic cones...she's a lifesaver! I'm so grateful that my neighbors are on board with my decorating and seem to enjoy it as well. This is exactly why I do it...bringing people together in the spirit of the season and celebration!

The cauldron fire!

We attached the tombstones to wooden stakes to keep them securely in place.

A look at the graveyard at dusk. I like that the dead leaves that fall from the trees overhead add some character!

A closer look at the step-in fence posts. I painted them with black spray paint and draped spooky cloth between them to make a fence! Fire and ice lights projected onto white gauze adds a cool moving light effect. I cut holes into the cloth so the wind will move freely through it, but left the ends loose so they would blow in the breeze for a more haunted look!

With LED flood lights I was able to uplight the witches to make them more visible. The purple also reflects well off the white cloth above.

I drew the tombstones by hand on banner paper, then used those as stencils for cutting the plywood. The great part about Halloween is everything doesn't have to be perfect! Rough around the edges makes them even better!

The Spider Web

Years ago I had a spider web like this from Target and it lasted so long! I finally had to replace it but I highly recommend these! I use twine to suspend it between two trees in the yard but I've also put it against the house, on a wall, etc. and it looked great anywhere it has been placed!

Happy (almost) Halloween Y'all! Anyone that knows me is well aware that I go all out on Halloween decorations. While I love pretty Fall decor with white pumpkins and subtle earthtones, it's all about Halloween in our house! What I love about Halloween is that you can have a lot of fun with it...the tackier the better for this holiday!

My personal style is festive and I like to incorporate lots of traditional, classic pieces such as jack-o-lantern buckets and blow molds. I tend to stay away from anything too spooky or gruesome as I'm such a scaredy cat myself I don't think I'd be able to sleep if things were too creepy! I also use a ton of lights when decorating for holidays. Colorful lights make everything more fun and interesting, especially at Halloween. Many of my decorations were passed down from my parents and it brings me so much joy to decorate with things I've had since childhood! Nostalgia has a lot of influence on my decorating style. I want everyone that walks in our door to feel like they've stepped into their favorite childhood Halloween movie (cough, Hocus Pocus, cough).

Since I have so many different styles and a diverse collection of decorations going on at this point, I try to separate areas of the house into different themes. Each year I tend to mix things up a bit and focus on changing or adding at least one new area or theme. This year it was the dining room tablescape and Harry Potter inspired guest bathroom.

I'm excited to share my home in all its Halloween glory! We'll start with the interior on this post and I'll share some of my favorite pieces and tips for your own decorating. Thanks for checking out my Halloween home tour...let me know what you think in the comments!

Entryway

I love the Halloween arch I got many years ago at Target. Once the lights eventually burn out, I replace them with another strand of orange lights and secure them with zip ties. One of my other statement pieces is a tree I got from Michael's that I wrap in purple lights. Last year I had been eyeing the lifesize animated witch and was lucky enough to catch it on clearance after Halloween! I used the arch, tree, and witch with some jack-o-lanterns and an assortment of tombstones to create a grand entrance as you walk in the front door.

The arch and this tree are my staple pieces because I can wrap string lights around them, then easily replace the lights when they burn out.

Purple lights reflect off white so well!

I use foam tombstones, Target Dollar Spot rugs, and spooky cloth to help hide cables.

I can't believe I got this witch for $17! Staying patient for larger items in after Halloween sales really pays off!

Throw some costume accessories on a coat rack or hooks near a door so all your creatures are ready to go!

These "curtains" are made from two pieces of fabric with a wire ribbon tie back.

One of my new ideas this year was these "curtains" I added over the entrance to the dining room. They are two pieces of Halloween fabric from Jo-Ann's that I didn't even bother hemming. I added coordinating wire ribbon, tacked in place as tie backs. This was so easy and effective...it covered such a large area and was super cost efficient!

Another go-to in my Halloween decorating is spooky cloth! I personally prefer black but it comes in various colors and lengths and is easy to find at local stores. You can do so much with spooky cloth and it's a great space filler.

Dining Room

The black wine glasses from World Market are my favorite Halloween drinkware!

Another area I updated this year was our dining room table. I started with a plain plain white tablecloth under the spider web cloth that I already owned to give it a different look and make the pattern pop. The tablesetting was curated from some of my favorite stores. The placemats and plates are Homegoods finds while the orange dinner napkins and black wine glasses are from World Market. For a personal touch I designed the caldron soup bowls that are now available for purchase in my Etsy shop!! My favorite features on the table are the vintage milk-glass vases, as they highlight my black and white design that I chose to match with varying accent color(s) for years to come. I experimented a lot with texture in this tablescape and really love how well it all came together!

For the open wall in the dining room above my bar cart, I wanted black silhouettes for a stark contrast against the cooler blue wall. I picked up these paper bats from Jo-Ann's and I love that they are 3D! I used a strand of bat strobe lights above them to illuminate them and make an awesome effect at night.

This vintage bar aid belonged to Kendall's grandparents...it's so fun to pair old with new in displays!

Living Room

Many years ago I found the spider mantle scarf and black rose garland pictured above, which have inspired a black, white, and purple theme ever since. I've collected various bedazzled skulls and candle holders to glam up the look. This year I found the skull mantle scarf from Jo-Ann's which was a perfect fit to fill the large mirror over our mantle. I added a milk glass vase, various sizes of white pumpkins, and a black boa to the top of the mirror for a full floor to ceiling display!

You can never have enough candlelight...never!!

I pushed a strand of wire lights into this hurricane to help bring out the details in the print.

Tombstone (or any) silhouettes are simple and work well in narrow spaces since they don't take up a lot of space. I tried these tombstones going up my stairs for something different! Add pieces that are battery operated (such as marquee lights) in places that you wouldn't expect since they don't have to reach an outlet.

My dad and I made these ghosts when I was younger and I've held on to them. I hang them between the stair railings so the ghosts appear to be scurrying up the stairs.

Harry Potter Bathroom

My absolute favorite part of our house this year is the new Harry Potter bathroom! I have always wanted to incorporate Harry Potter into the decorations and this year I decided to go for it. I used props I already had with a few new items and DIY floating candles to create the most magical space. I literally squeal every time I turn on the floating candles because the Hogwarts vibes are so real!

I spray painted a rubber snake from the dollar store to make the Chamber of Secrets!

This owl Wallflower from Bath and Body Works reminded me so much of Hedwig!

Paper towel and toilet paper rolls with hot glue, white spray paint, and fishing line hold battery operated votives for "floating" candles. They really appear to float in real life! This is one of the best DIY projects I've ever done!

Our pregame tradition is to sing the UNC fight song and follow it with a shot of Southern Comfort!

It’s tailgating season and I am so excited!

I started tailgating sophomore year of college with my friend Sarah and her family and have pretty much been hooked since. The food, the drinks, the people, and the school spirit make for such an ideal day! I have a few recipes that have become staples over the years at our tailgates and anytime I try to get by without making one I get a lot of complaints…so it’s safe to say these are all hits!

My goals for tailgate dishes are low prep time and feasibility to make for a group. As a Carolina fan, I know all too well about noon kickoffs and waking up at 6am to prepare food that can cook while I get ready. I’m often asked for recipes and I always say these are SO easy that you don’t really need a lot of experience in the kitchen. You’ve probably even seen a couple of similar recipes to these on Pinterest but I’ve jazzed them up with additional seasonings and flavor.

After many upside down deviled eggs and BBQ sauce stains on my car interior, I’ve learned a lot of tips for tailgating along the way that I’ll share after the recipes. Tailgating should be fun and low stress as possible!

Y’all have asked for them and I’m excited to finally share my go-to recipes that have delighted taste buds at our tailgates the last eight years and evolved into my regular party spread due to their popularity! Enjoy!

*These recipes are based on larger servings I make on game days. For smaller gatherings you may want to cut them in half.

Easy-Breezy Game Day Meatballs

I've been making these meatballs for years! No one can believe how easy they are!

1. Preheat oven to 350°.2. Spread out frozen meatballs in pan, and cover with barbecue sauce so that there is enough to cover all meatballs. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes, chili powder, and garlic powder. 3. Bake for 60 minutes, gently stirring occasionally to ensure all meatballs are covered in sauce. If the meatballs aren't fully coated, feel free to add more BBQ sauce. Cook until meatballs are moderately soft. 4. Remove from oven and cover with foil. Serve with toothpicks and simply dispose of pan when finished…these are sure not to last more than an hour.

*These can also cook in a Crock-Pot on high for 60 minutes. This makes for easy transportation as well by simply removing the stoneware w/ glass lid to load up.

1. Preheat oven to 350°.2. Keeping Sweet Rolls in contact, and use a large knife to slice in half. In a small bowl, mix together mayonnaise and miracle whip. Spread lightly onto both sides of the inside of the rolls. Put rolls back in white paper "sleeve", leave top off. 3. Place ham and cheese across the “bottoms” of the rolls (still in the white paper sleeve). Cover rolls with top halves. Use a sharp knife to cut between/separate rolls (but still leaving them in white packaging).4.Sit each package of rolls on a large sheet of aluminum foil, securing the foil around paper packaging to keep poppy seed sauce from leaking out.5. In a medium bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients for the poppy seed sauce. Pour evenly over all of the sandwiches. 6. Completely cover each set of rolls with foil, place on cookie sheet, and bake for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted. Uncover the top layer of foil and cook for 2-3 additional minutes or until the tops are slightly brown. Wrap the rolls back up in foil to keep warm during transportation to tailgate.

*I have used the new Jalapeño Hawaiian Sweet Rolls for these and they added a nice kick of spice! Highly recommend it!

Bacon Wrapped Maple Chili Smokies

These smokies seriously don't last much longer than 30 minutes on the table...they are SO good!

1. Preheat oven to 375°.2. Mix brown sugar and chili powder in small bowl. Spread a thin layer of half the mixture in the bottom of a large glass baking dish. Roll up each Smokie in a third of a bacon strip, secure with toothpick. Arrange the bacon-wrapped Smokies very closely in the dish (depending on size of baking dish, you may not be able to fit every Smokie and will likely have some leftover bacon).3. Melt the stick of butter and stir in the remaining brown sugar/chili powder mixture. Pour the mixture over the Smokies, then drizzle with the maple syrup. Bake for 20 minutes, then turn the heat up to 400 to bake another 5 minutes. (I usually broil mine on low for an additional 1-2 minutes to char the bacon a bit, keeping a close eye so they don't burn)4. Remove from oven and realize you may need to make 2 batches next time (they will be gone within minutes).

Flake’s Famous Deviled Eggs

It's a bit audacious to self-proclaim these myself as the best deviled eggs, but I've been told by several people that they are in fact the best they've ever had!

1. Bring large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, use tongs to place eggs in a single layer on the bottom of the pot. Cover and boil for about 3 minutes, then turn off the heat but leave the pot on the burner. Let sit covered for 12 minutes. 2. Use tongs to transfer the eggs to an ice bath. Let the eggs sit at least 10 minutes.3. Peel eggs, cut in half, gently remove the yolks with a spoon and place them in a separate bowl.4. Use a fork to mash the egg yolks and combine with all the other ingredients (except the paprika). This can also be done in a food processor but I prefer to do it the old fashioned way with a fork. Mash the mixture until there are no chunks of yolk left. If the filling appears too thick/dry, add a teaspoon or two of mayo until it thins some.5. Spoon the mixture into the egg halves. You can put the filling in a ziplock bag with a snipped corner to “pipe” it into the egg halves but honestly…deviled eggs weren’t created to be pretty and that takes far too much time in my opinion.6. Lightly sprinkle with paprika to taste. Place in the fridge for about 30 minutes to chill before serving.

*I love vinegar so I tend to add a little extra.**Eggs will vary in size of yolk (especially between store bought and fresh farm eggs) so I start with these measurements but add additional mayo and vinegar if the consistency is too thick. I prefer my deviled egg filling a tad on the runny side since I make them the night before and they set up overnight. Use less mayo and vinegar if you like your filling thicker.

No Hassle Tailgate Tips:

I usually cook these dishes simultaneously on 350° and leave the smokies in a bit longer since they would cook at a higher heat if cooked individually.

Use disposable foil pans when possible. I always cook the meatballs in a foil pan so that it can easily be disposed of when we’re done.

Use insulated casserole carriers! After removing everything from the oven, transfer immediately to the carriers and they will keep warm during transport to the tailgate.

Bring a couple of Tupperware bowls so you can save any leftovers before tossing foil pans (though I doubt you’ll have any leftovers).

Use a plastic cupcake carrier for deviled eggs. You can easily put the eggs on your round egg platter, put some ice in the bottom of the carrier, place your egg platter on top of the ice, then secure the lid on the carrier. I have one with a handle and it makes the eggs so much easier to transport while keeping them chilled (especially during these early season games that are hot).

Prep everything you can the night before! I go ahead and make my deviled eggs and prep the smokies and sandwiches the night before, storing them all in the fridge. I place the deviled eggs in the cupcake carrier (without the ice) to keep them airtight. The smokies can be covered with foil. Wrap the sandwiches in foil as well and place them back in the bag they came in, securing with the bread clip.

Beyond my seasonal/home decor, party, and food posts, I always want to share other things I’m loving with y’all. I’m starting “Fill ‘Er Up Fridays” as a place to share all the things currently filling my happy tank that I just can’t get enough of!

From goodreads, fashion and home finds, to flowers and Starbucks drinks, these will likely be all over the place! I’m a girl with a lot of interests and hobbies, what can I say?!

Let me know if you end up purchasing any of my suggestions and what you think!

-Liz

I have a lot of books on my list this week! First up, congrats to Courtney at Pizzazzerie on her book release this week! Courtney speaks all my love languages so I pretty much adore all her work. She is one of the first bloggers I met when I started this thing and I am SO glad because she is serious entertaining goals.

The Cooking Gene is another release I received this week! Michael Twitty traces his ancestry through food from Africa to America, from slavery to freedom. I can’t wait to read about the history of Southern cuisine and the origins of soul food! Congrats Michael!

Save the Date has officially made me a Mary Kay Andrews fanatic. Shoutout to my coworker Jasmine for letting me borrow this! I seriously couldn’t wait to get home at night to read it. Speaking straight to my Southern heart, it features a Savannah florist solidifying her career and navigating love. I’ve never wished so badly that a fictional character was real so that she could plan my wedding!

I picked up these Steve Madden Booties during the #NSale and I love, love, love them! The stretch of the material make them so comfy and I love how different the round chunky heel is! I’ve already picked up some shirts and dresses to pair with the Olive color! They’re no longer on sale but are back in stock!

Last weekend I spotted this denim dress in Target and immediately fell in love but realized it was a maternity dress. There are few things I love more in the Fall than the color cranberry and with the off-the-shoulder sleeves I decided to size down and went for it! It actually worked and now I'm considering the blue color...

I seriously CAN NOT WAIT FOR FALL. But I’m also trying not to rush it because I have A LOT of decorating to do! These velvet pumpkins from Jo Ann Stores are everything. My favorites are the wine (of course) and orange.

In my effort to not wish away the end of Summer too quickly, I am loving all of the pictures of Dahlias being shared right now on Insta! The color of these blooms are so pretty! Shoutout to Becky Crowley and Mandy at BlueRidgeBlooms for two of my favorite pics this week of these beauties.

Did you know the first episode of Golden Girls was set in June? Blanche’s first line in the pilot episode was while she was (of course) getting ready for a date:

Blanche: “Dorothy, can I borrow your mink stole?”Dorothy: “It’s Miami in June – only cats are wearing fur!”

I remember occasionally watching the Golden Girls with my mom growing up but they really got me through lots of late nights in college. Despite seeing every episode multiple times, I still crack up when I watch…I swear the show becomes more humorous the older I get. I don’t think I could choose my favorite character because I truly believe I’m a mix of all four ladies…Southern like Blanche, sarcastic like Sophia, witty like Dorothy and tender hearted (as well as a bit naïve) like Rose.

While brainstorming for 28th birthday party themes, I decided it was time to host a Golden Girls party. I wanted to do a dinner party since we have been working on a patio remodel the last couple of months, and what better place to have a Golden Girls dinner party than on our upgraded “lanai”?!

I started browsing my favorite party supply shops and came across the Troppo Leaf products at Paper Eskimo, which immediately reminded me of Blanche’s bedroom. I paired them with Toot Sweet Stripey Dusty Pink plates from Meri Meri and the rest of the details fell into place from there!

In case you were wondering, my friends from college still refer to me as "Flake" (my last name). Thanks to my co-worker for designing these invites for me!

Troppo plates and napkins from Paper Eskimo, Toot Sweet Stripey Dusty Pink plates from Meri Meri, and bamboo cutlery from Amazon all went so well together!

I rented two tables and folding wedding chairs from a local event rental company. With a wooded background and lots of green and gold accents, I didn’t want the party to feel too dark so I lightened things up with white and light pink table linens.

The Southern-inspired menu was served buffet style and included Zbornak sandwiches (pimento cheese and chicken salad), Big Daddy’s fried chicken with cornbread, a St. Olaf cheese tray, Shady Pines meatballs, and Count Bessie’s deviled eggs. I intended to have a Sicilian pizza but completely forgot to order it until dinner had already started (oops!). For dessert, we had Betty White chocolate cupcakes, Devereaux peach cobbler and of course…cheesecake!

These cornbread loaves from Sam's Club were convenient and delicious!

Not your traditional dinner party spread but it was far too hot for heavy food and keeping the prep/cook time to a minimum allowed me to enjoy my guests. Thanks to my awesome friends that helped in the kitchen! The banner on this table is actually from my birthday last year, but it is from JazzHandsPaperCo on Etsy.

This Spritz banner from Target was exactly what I needed for the dessert table! The Troppo baking cups came from Paper Eskimo to match the plates.

Thanks to my new friends Sharon and Pat at Balloon & Tunes in Carrboro for doing a great job with the balloons! This is the first time I’ve worked with them and their shop blew me away. It was full of arches, arrangements and tons of fun orders ready to be picked up. They have so many options to choose from and make sure the height and specifications of everything are just right before you leave. They will even help you load your car (or in my case, pick pieces of mulch outta my trunk so the balloons would be safe in transport). I can’t wait to work with them on all my events moving forward!

Besides the plates and balloons, other accessories came from Etsy and some of my favorite home décor stores. Everything turned out absolutely stunning. The humidity felt close to that of Miami, but luckily the rain held off. Thanks to the Proxy Lighting patio string lights we recently installed, my guests and I were able to party well into the night after dinner!

The string lights from Proxy Lighting created a beautiful glow and ambiance!

Can we talk about these AMAZING floral picks from Jo-Ann's?!? As soon as I saw them I knew they'd go in an arrangement for the centerpiece. I used white roses and pink peonies with some baby's breath and daisies as a simple yet beautiful arrangement. The picks really brought out the gold accents on the table!

I designed this print, used my Cricut to cut it out of vinyl, and applied it to dollar store drinking glasses. These doubled as favors for my guests.

Y'all know I couldn't have a party without my bar cart! The cart is from Wayfair and the "bar" sign from the Target Dollar Spot!

The wine bottle labels are from HHPaperCo and the Stay Golden printable is from ClaresPrintables (both are Etsy shops). I put the printable in a frame from Michael's and I can't wait to use it on a gallery wall in my office!

Another view of the table...I got those cool candleholders a while back at my local At Home store.

My fellow Golden Girl Bella, who needed a haircut, was tired of her Mama running around like a crazy person, and absolutely refused to get out of pictures.

When I spotted this dress at Old Navy I had to have it for the party! (Told y'all Bella would not stay out of any of my pics)

How sweet are these Sophia coasters?!? My friends gave them to me as a gift at the party so I'm not sure where they are from, but they are awesome! I love them so much!

This rose crown filter showed up around midnight during the party! It had never been an option for my Snapchat until then so in my head it was released special, just for me, at my birthday party. I'll call it the Nylund filter from here on out!

Bella is my sweet and petite Maltichon with a big personality. On May 2nd we celebrated her 11th birthday! She has been my right hand lady through high school, college, and now post-grad life and while she is spoiled every day, I make sure she feels extra special on her birthday!

I had originally planned a party for Bella and all her fur friends but we had consecutive busy weekends with weddings and human birthday celebrations so unfortunately there wasn’t time for another event. I was bummed we couldn’t make the scheduling work but I took Bella on a girls’ shopping trip to pick up the essentials for a party of two that evening!

Continuing my monthly bar cart themes, Bella helped me set up a fun “bark cart” with our favorite treats. We ate, danced, and had the best time enjoying each other’s company. Hopefully we can make a party with her friends happen next year, but there will definitely be more bark carts in our future!

See the details below for some inspiration for your bark cart. The best part of these is you don’t need a whole lot to make a dog’s day special…a few treats and a lotta love go a long way!

We had so much fun picking out treats together at the Petco treat bar! (Bella only had a couple of these, we stored the rest for later)

The tutu, bandana, and toy are from Petco...Party hat made with my Cricut machine.

Mommy's treats included La Croix, some wine, a fun glitter wine tumbler from Total Wine & More, and some pretty pink tulips to enjoy through the rest of the week! "Mind the Dog" sign was purchased years ago from Homegoods. The birthday banner was made with my Cricut, check my shop to place an order for your own customized banner!

So much excitement for one day! Shortly after this we cuddled up on the couch and relaxed together. If you put together a bark cart please share! We'd love to see it!

Football is a big deal in the South. We love food so it’s no surprise that we look forward to congregating around grills in parking lots all day. Besides tailgating, the South tends to be pretty darn good at college football. The SEC football culture is deeply rooted in competitiveness and dominance. Gamedays in the SEC are entire productions. Have you seen those Ole Miss tailgates?!

I do love tailgating and a good football game, but this North Carolina girl lives for college basketball and the Tobacco Road Rivalry. The close proximity of Carolina and dook (located only eight miles apart) and history of both programs fuel the tension between the two archrivals.

Many folks in Chapel Hill and Durham have been making their Kroger beer runs. Others have been up since 6:30 am to get in to College GameDay or their favorite bar to snag a table for the game (that doesn’t start until 8pm). Me? Well I decorated a corner of my dining room in anticipation of the big game…that’s normal right?!

Soon to be followed by the ACC and NCAA Tournaments, to me this is the official start of March Madness. I’m extremely fortunate that I’ll be in the Smith Center tonight, but I’m sharing my watch party inspiration with y’all! I’ve styled my bar cart with the essentials and kept it casual…game days should be fun, not stressful!

Below you'll find one of my go-to wing recipes and some beer suggestions (all from UNC alumni-owned breweries) that you should indulge in tonight while watching the greatest rivalry in college sports. Enjoy your Saturday and GO HEELS!

Directions:

3. Place wings onto the prepared baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes, using tongs to turn halfway through.

4. While the wings are baking, start the glaze. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour until lightly browned. Stir in honey, both hot sauces, soy sauce, and add remaining spices (garlic powder, chili powder, cayenne, salt, and black pepper). Bring to a boil and simmer until thickened, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat until wings are done.

5. Remove wings from oven and brush 1/2 of the glaze on top. Return to oven and broil 3-4 minutes. Remove wings from oven again, flip, brush with remaining glazing, return to oven and broil for 3-4 minutes until desired crispness.

Garnish with sesame seeds and cilantro.

Southern Comfort and NC's Fish Hippie Wine for those that don't love beer. And of course, no UNC game day is complete without a blue cup from He's Not Here!

We don’t get snow days very often in the South so when we do it’s a BIG deal. School and business closings run along the bottom of the local television channels before the precipitation even starts. Sleds come out of storage and no loaf of bread or gallon of milk are left behind in grocery stores. I’m not even sure I will ever grow out of running to the front door when the first flakes start falling to scream “IT’S SNOWINGGG!”

We’ve been lucky enough to already have a few snow days this year when it snowed/iced a few weeks ago. Although I made the obligatory grocery run and cooked up some yummy soup, I was disappointed in my snow day snack preparation. When you’re stuck inside for several days a good snack line up is essential, so I decided my January bar cart theme would be dedicated to our next winter wonderland blessing!

As I was thinking about the best snacks I kept coming back to sweet and salty…I actually can’t eat anything sweet without following up with a salty treat. So behold, the sweet and salty snow day bar cart.

I've been looking for an excuse to pick up a cake from Nothing Bundt Cakes…they are AMAZING and so pretty. My favorites are white chocolate raspberry and lemon but you really can’t go wrong with any of their cakes. Forget the bread and milk, I’ll be picking up another one of these next time we are anticipating snow!

You can substitute the snacks with your sweet and salty favorites but I’ve posted all the details of my cart below as inspiration for your next snow day!

Disclaimer: snow is not actually required for setup, no judgment here if you decide to snack your way through next weekend ;)

North Coast Sauvignon Blanc from William Hill Estate Winery. Marquee light from Michael's.

I worked the color scheme of this cart around these Fitz and Floyd Daphne wine glasses from Wayfair.com. I fell in love with them at first sight and knew I needed these for future projects!

White chocolate raspberry cake from Nothing Bundt Cakes...all of their cakes are d-e-l-i-c-i-o-u-s.

"Snowballs" (powdered sugar donut holes)

These dark chocolate and sea salt caramel Ghirardelli squares were a perfect addition to this month's bar cart.

I can't believe that the holiday season is coming to a close! I don't start taking down my decorations until New Year's Day so I can squeeze out one extra week of nights by the Christmas trees, but then the transition back to "normal" will begin.

Although I haven't quite yet given up my Christmas decor, I always make sure to find a place to put out some fun New Year's Eve frills and sparkles. My new bar cart from Wayfair inspired a black, gold, and white art deco theme this year.

I stocked the bar with champagne and all the makings for Moscow mules with Tito's vodka. Moscow mules are great for celebrations not only because they're delicious, but the copper mugs are beautiful! Below you'll find all the details for my New Year's Eve bar cart and a recipe for Moscow mules. Happy New Year my friends, can't wait to see what 2017 brings us!

If you have watched the news in the last month then I'm sure you're aware that disastrous wildfires recently ripped through the mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee. Homes, businesses and lives were lost.

In an effort to raise money for the relief efforts, I'm hosting a t-shirt sale with Underground Printing. There are several styles ranging from basic cotton tees to Comfort Colors and American Apparel options. There are also youth options available.

Click the link below to get shopping! Orders can be placed through 11:59pm on Sunday, December 18th. We'll ship your shirts directly. To see product specs and size guides, click on the product and there will be a link to the right of the page. Of course if you have any other questions, don't hesitate to email me at theseasonedsoutherner@gmail.com.

Hope everyone is enjoying lots of holiday festivities! I can't believe Christmas is right around the corner!

I wanted to share this fun recipe with y'all while you still have time to make it this holiday season! This weekend I was in the mood to bake and hit Pinterest for some ideas. After finding a gingerbread cake recipe, I decided to pair it with some cinnamon buttercream frosting.

This cake wasn't difficult and ended up being absolutely delicious! My house smelled like what Christmas dreams are made of! The cinnamon in the frosting is so beautiful you could leave it undecorated, but I topped mine with some rosemary trees and Wilton cake beads.

I have been anxious to see some fall foliage. Since it’s not quite time for our area, I started considering a brief trip back up to my hometown of Pilot Mountain, North Carolina in hopes of catching some early color. Although I found out that the leaves weren’t quite changing much yet there either, I realized it was the weekend of the annual Autumn Leaves Festival in nearby Mt. Airy (also known as “Mayberry”). Immediately the famed collard green sandwich came to mind and I knew I had to go.

You may have just muttered the word “gross” as many of us did when we first heard about the collard green sandwich, but one bite and you’ll quickly change your mind. This sandwich constructed by collard greens and fat back between two pieces of cornbread has been a longtime favorite of the festival.

Andy Griffith Squad Car

Mom and I headed downtown early Saturday morning but walked past the booth twice because we didn’t recognize it without a line. A lady attending to a large pot of collards turned around and said “we open in about an hour.” No wonder there wasn’t a line yet.

Since I’ve never had a real look at the operation behind the hustle and bustle, I took a few moments to check things out. I watched the lady running the show, presumably Shelby King, chairperson of the Sandy Level Community Council that brings us this annual delicacy. It tickled me that the most popular food vendor at the festival still uses an old gas range stove and standard white fridge in the booth.

Shelby King setting up for the day

“Guess you’ll just have to settle for a ham biscuit this year baby girl,” Mom said as we headed back to the car. I do love a good ham biscuit but my mother knows me better than that…I wouldget a collard green sandwich before all was said and done.

We passed time by going up to a produce stand at the state line to pick out pumpkins but when we returned to the festival it was a much different scene from less than an hour earlier. I hopped in line with at least 50 people (probably more) ahead of me. Locals knew exactly what that long of a line was for but out-of-towners stopped to ask. “Oh, I heard I needed to try one of those!” Yes, yes you do, but the end of the line is back thataway.

The line for Sandy Level Community Council's booth

While not so patiently standing in line, I had the pleasure of meeting some good folks behind me all the way from Charlotte. They, too, were motivated enough by the sandwich to make a two and a half hours drive for the festival.

Some old friends passed by and I got to rub an expecting friend’s belly carrying a baby girl that will likely be here in a few weeks, a part of the next generation of collard green sandwich consumers. Ironically enough, it was this family that first introduced me to the sandwiches long ago.

One hour later, I had my three foil-wrapped collard green sandwiches in hand (might as well get a couple to go if you wait that long). There were vinegar and onions to dress them with but I opted to take mine as is to spare my mom any stronger aroma in the car than the collards already emit. I said goodbye and parted ways with my new and old friends.

After devouring one when we got back to the house, I loaded my extra sandwiches, pumpkins, and two kinds of apples (one for frying and the other for pies) into my car and hit the road back to Durham where I now reside.

I had gone home intending to see some colorful autumn foliage, but it’s quite possible that my heart was longing for a little something more. As they usually do when I leave home, a couple of tears fell on the drive down Highway 52 to 40 East, where I would see the sunset in my rearview and a huge, red hunter’s moon rising in the horizon ahead of me. I thought about how fulfilling of a day it had been visiting family, friends, and old stomping grounds. I realized that despite their beauty, dying leaves could not have made me nearly as happy as the day’s adventure had.

Thank you to the Sandy Level Community Council. Your popular offering allowed me to fill my heart up on whole lotta hometown love in the disguise of a sandwich.

I am SO excited that Autumn is here! I have spent the last couple of weeks shopping for Fall goodies and decorating the house! This past weekend my dad and I accomplished an outdoor decorating marathon, including a special project that I added to the lineup this year...I am SUPER excited to share all the details about that later!

After such a productive weekend I decided we needed to have some celebratory mimosas on Sunday evening. I had recently picked up some Pumpkin and Cider Spice flavored sparkling juices to try out, so I opted for those instead of orange juice for an ultimate Fall cocktail.

Then I had the notion to make some super easy pumpkin spice muffins that a coworker introduced me to a few years ago. They require only two ingredients and are seriously way too delicious to be so easy! I actually put cream cheese frosting on them, so I guess that technically makes them "three ingredient cupcakes"...but either way you want to do them, they're great!

I also grabbed a candy apple and some Pumpkin Spice LINDOR Truffles (thanks to Pizzazzerie for the heads up on these!) to make an Autumn treat spread! It was simple, yet delicious!

Not that you really need a recipe for these, but check out the directions below and enjoy!

I hope everyone enjoyed your Labor Day Weekend! I was lucky enough to visit two great cities and although I am exhausted today, I had an absolute blast!

We purchased tickets months ago to see UNC football play UGA at the Georgia Dome on Saturday, but I later realized Southern Living Magazine was having another 50th anniversary weekend in Nashville. After the amazing time I had on my birthday back in June at the Southern Living Live Editor’s Dinner in Charleston, I HAD to make Nashville happen!

I spent last week packing up, organizing and shredding 15 lbs. of cheese for the mac & cheese I was assigned to bring to the big tailgate on Saturday. On Thursday morning I hopped on a flight to Nashville and spent the next two days exploring the Music City and all it has to offer. Friday night I attended the Southern Living dinner at Cheekwood Botanical Gardens. SO MUCH FUN but more details on that later!

The beautiful family style dinner under a tent at Cheekwood.

After the dinner, I hit the road to Atlanta in a rental car…and ended up having to stop for a short nap at a truck stop outside of Chattanooga. Upon finally arriving at our Airbnb in Atlanta, I was able to sneak in another 30-minute nap before following Kendall to the tailgate lot so we could drop off a car and secure our parking spot.

I returned back to the Airbnb to start on the mac & cheese. I guess you’re wondering at this point how I got all the cookware and ingredients to Atlanta since I started out my trip on a flight. This is where Kendall and his awesomeness comes in…I had packed up my car with all of the tailgate supplies and organized the fridge with Tupperware full of shredded cheese and the other ingredients before leaving for Nashville. He packed the rest into coolers and drove everything down to Atlanta on Friday so that I could do my thing when I arrived on Saturday morning. How amazing is he?!?

I was also grateful to have two sous chefs, Sarah and Jessica, that let me run around the kitchen like a chicken with my head cut off and assisted with the two HUGE pans of mac & cheese. We loaded ourselves and the mac & cheese into an UberXL and headed to the tailgate!

Losing the game was definitely a bummer but we had a great time and one of the best tailgates to date! Sunday we made time before heading home to stop for brunch at Buttermilk Kitchen in Buckhead. It was the most darling spot down to every detail, including jelly and mason jars for drinking glasses and recycled milk bottles as water carafes on every table.

Buttermilk Kitchen Brunch

I returned home last night overwhelmingly inspired by both Atlanta and Nashville so I decided to make a Labor Day Brunch today influenced by some of the delicious food I had in both cities!

For brunch in Atlanta at Buttermilk Kitchen, I had a chicken biscuit with red pepper jelly and a side of pimento cheese grits. Yep, you heard that right...PIMENTO CHEESE GRITS. Of course Nashville is the home of Hot Chicken so I knew I wanted to incorporate something spicy and what is better than shrimp and grits?!?

And that my friends, is a rundown of the insanely busy, crazy, fun Labor Day weekend I had and how I came up with Cajun Shrimp and Pimento Cheese Grits with a Red Pepper Jelly Drizzle!

Enjoy!

Cajun Shrimp and Pimento Cheese Grits with a Red Pepper Jelly Drizzle

Ingredients:

For the Grits:

1 cup Stone Ground Grits

3 cups water

2 cups Chicken or Beef Broth

¼ cup milk

1 tsp salt

3 tbs butter

4 oz jar diced pimentos

3 cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese

½ tsp ground black pepper

¼ tsp onion powder

¼ tsp chili powder

¼ tsp garlic powder

For the Shrimp:

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp salt

¼ tsp ground black pepper

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp red pepper flakes

½ tsp oregano

½ tsp dried thyme

1 lb peeled and deveined uncooked shrimp of your choice

3 tbs butter

2 tbs red pepper jelly

Chopped green onion for garnish

Directions:

1. Mix minced garlic and all shrimp seasonings together in a medium sized bowl. Add the shrimp, stir to coat, and sit aside.

2. Bring water, broth, milk and salt to a boil in a large saucepan. Whisk in grits, stir well, cover and turn down heat to low. Continue to whisk frequently and cook for at least an hour until grits are creamy. I cooked mine about 1 ½ hours.

3. With about 10 minutes left on the grits, melt butter in skillet on medium high heat and then add shrimp. Cook for about 3 minutes on each side.

Deaths are hard. I’ve spent the last year with my fingers to the keyboard hoping to find a way to put it all into appropriate words. While I still haven’t thought up the most enlightening thing to write that makes loss any easier, I can say that I’ve finally found the positive in death, which is...the food.

I had not dealt with a close loss (at an age old enough to remember) until my great-grandmother passed away my freshman year of college, and my duties included holding down her house while neighbors and friends stopped by with food. “Write down who brought what so we can send them a thank you card.”

I didn’t realize that my great-grandmother had known enough people still alive to bring more food than you could even find on a Friday night buffet at the Golden Corral. Plate after plate of fried chicken and side dishes were brought in. I saw enough variations of pound cake to fill the dessert section of the First Baptist Church’s next community cookbook. That was the week I learned that the older she is, the better her pound cake is.

When my Papa passed last August, I didn’t want to think about life without him in our family. Papa and I saw each other every day while I was growing up and this loss was much harder for me. Regardless of how poorly I kept it together, I had to sit at the house and greet the food…errr, I mean, the people coming by to pay their respects while mom and Granny were out taking care of the arrangements.

It turned out to actually be refreshing. Sure the food was delicious, but I listened to the stories each family friend or church deacon had to tell about Papa. Sometimes they needed comforting just as much as we did, and that attested to the type of man my Papa was. People came and went, dropping off trays of food with the date that everything was made clearly marked, and cake carriers initialed in permanent marker so you knew who to return them to…and you had better return them eventually.

A foil pan of what we thought were from-scratch country ham biscuits was delivered and they were so darn good that we almost fought over them. Each morning that I was home I’d go out and have one with Granny so she wouldn’t have to eat breakfast alone (and partially because I didn’t want to share them). When we eventually found out that Polly Love “up the road” didn’t make them and that they were really from a restaurant in town called “Cousin Gary’s,” we had the best laugh together over how well those biscuits fooled us. I’m not sure whose cousin Gary is but he can be mine if he makes those ham biscuits every time someone dies.

Ya know, there’s something special to be said about comfort food. I always thought of comfort food as simply an excuse not to count calories because you were stressed for some reason or another. But maybe comfort food is more than just an excuse to put your arteries at risk because you’re having a bad day.

Maybe it’s the intention and community behind comfort food that makes it what it is. In the South, food is love and a death is essentially just a somber potluck that lasts several days. You eat home-cooked food, visit with friends and relatives you haven’t seen in a while and cherish that time with the people around you, despite the circumstances that brought you together. Maybe comfort food actually is a reminder of the feelings we get from love and home…and hence the name, the comfort of it all. Perhaps it really is food for the soul.

As we approached the one-year anniversary of losing Papa, Kendall received news that his grandfather had passed. He was in New Jersey for the funeral when he texted me that he was on the way to repast…reminding me of the one we had in the fellowship hall after Papa’s funeral. Maybe Northerners aren’t so backwards after all, I thought.

Upon returning back home in North Carolina, Kendall unloaded an entire cooler of Ziploc bags full of green beans, mac and cheese, pound cake and the some of the best cornbread I have ever had the pleasure of putting in my mouth. I noticed everything was marked with 8-17-16, the date which they were packaged, and it tickled me at how similar things were to my own experience this time last year.

Realizing that my previous discovery regarding the positive in the midst of a loss may not exclusively be just a Southern thing, I was grateful to have so much comfort food in the days to come that would undoubtedly be tough. Then I proceeded to unwrap some pound cake and went about determining the age of the lady who made it.

P.S. Don’t tell anyone back home that I complimented a Northerner’s cornbread that much.

“I think there’s just one kind of folks: folks.”

-“To Kill a Mockingbird” (Harper Lee)

Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, SC

It’s no secret that I love the South. I love celebrating our people, our culture and of course, our food. When I think about my dream house I imagine a wraparound front porch with light blue ceilings, a porch swing and rocking chairs. I picture myself sitting on it with a mint julep or a glass of wine (depending on time of day), while eating pimento cheese and reading Southern Living magazine.

Few things make me happier than being Southern.

However, as much as I love being from the South, I’m not oblivious to our vices. As most places, our history is not all one to boast about…there are many things I’m ashamed of and wish I could rewrite. I often times find myself conflicted about this place I cherish so much, especially when I see the negative ideologies and stigmas of our past infiltrating to our future generations.

While I wish I could rid us of all our baggage, I don’t have all the answers. I’m not sure how to explain our contradictions, but I damn sure won’t defend them. I don’t always know what to say or have the best words to say it, but as Rick Bragg notes, “I know a little about our South, how the things that make us most ashamed of our past -and present- are not always our actions but our silence.”

I pray that us Southerners can keep our ears and our hearts open. Let’s listen and understand each other. Let’s work together to eradicate any lingering hate and negativity that still plague us. All kinds of people helped build this region into the great place that it is…and it wouldn’t be so lovely without every single one of us.

Let’s simply love one another. Lord knows there is enough hospitality and bread to break down here for EVERYONE...just don’t forget the butter.

Peace & love, y’all.

This post is dedicated to the Emanuel AME Church, in memory of the victims of the senseless tragedy that occurred on the evening of June 17th, 2015. May their families and community continue to find peace and strength one year later. We are all #CharlestonStrong.

Flowers and tokens of love left by visitors on the gates of Emanuel AME Church

I had been contemplating a weekend getaway for my birthday when Southern Living announced their 50th Anniversary weekend in Charleston for the same dates. Anyone that knows me well is aware that I live, eat and breathe Southern Living magazine, so it was pretty much fate!

I talked my friends into joining and we booked an Airbnb that ended up being the most adorable home full of Southern charm. The house was located within walking distance to King St. and just a short Uber ride to everything else we wanted to do (or eat).

It wouldn’t be my birthday if there were no theme so I decided to go with pineapples to commemorate the pineapple fountain on the Charleston waterfront. Pineapples are also a symbol of hospitality and I wanted to let my friends know how much I appreciated them coming to celebrate the weekend with me!

A hospitality table for my friends complete with photo booth props I made.

I spent a lot of time researching activities and restaurants since traveling with a group can be difficult when deciding what to do and staying on some form of a schedule. We ended up eating SO well and having such a blast so I wanted to share our weekend with you!

Friday:

This was the night of the Southern Living Live Chef + Editor Dinner at Circa 1886 and I am literally still so excited I can’t even put it all into words yet. I’ll have more to share on that later but I’ll talk about everything else we did Friday.

I needed (or wanted) some birthday shoes so we hit up King St. for some shopping. While out, we stopped for a quick bite at Hyman’s Seafood. I was eating light in anticipation for the dinner so I only had a crabcake and salad, but the fresh fish selection looked super yummy. The walls were adorned with mementos from famous people that had stopped in and the tables with plaques of who had sat there, so it made for a fun experience. Rick Flair had sat at our table!

After shopping, I went to my appointment at Tease Blow Dry Bar to get a blow out. Although my big hair didn’t last long in the South Carolina humidity it was nice not to have to do it myself. If you are in town for a girls’ weekend, wedding or some other type of event it’s a nice way to relax and get pampered for an hour. Also, they serve wine (enough said), but be sure to schedule an appointment in advance as they fill up fast!

Although I’m saving dinner details for another post, I do want to recommend Circa 1886. Chef Marc Collins planned the most delectable menu for our event so I can only imagine the other dishes they offer. The restaurant is located in a carriage house of the beautiful Wentworth Mansion and the atmosphere is stunning…GO.

The rest of my friends arrived in town while I was at dinner, just in time to hit up the King St. nightlife. We went to Republic, which was a great spot if you are looking for more of a hip-hop music scene. Afterwards we walked over to Callie's Hot Little Biscuit and although I have to admit I don’t remember much about anyone’s meal (it was my birthday, cut me some slack!), I heard nothing but positive reviews the next morning. Last year I had the pimento cheese sandwich and it was delicious so I trust that it was just as delicious this year too.

I brought an instant camera and set up a "photo booth" on a blank space of wall

Saturday:

My goal for Saturday was to map out a good walking tour with plenty of food and drink stops along the way so we wouldn’t have to deal with any transportation.

We started out at Dixie Supply Bakery & Cafe, a hidden gem attached to a convenience store. They have everything from chicken and waffles to a tomato pie that they bake fresh upon ordering. I had the State Street Biscuit, which is a fried chicken biscuit smothered in gravy and topped with a fried egg. My stomach was as happy with this biscuit as my arteries were mad at it. I was too full for dessert but the pies looked scrumptious.

We then headed to City Market to walk around and check out the vendors. They have a fun collection of art, knickknacks, souvenirs, etc.…most of which are handmade. I bought a hand painted cooking oil cruet as well as some pralines and a variety of meat jerky.

The Rooftop Bar at Vendue

Next stop was the The Rooftop Bar at the unique Vendue art hotel. Inside you’ll find cool exhibits such as an assortment of View-Masters to look through and a huge pin art-thingy. Do those have names? Anyways, we went up to the roof for drinks and convo. I had a Peach Mule and Spicy Mango Margarita, both of which were delicious and the views of the Historic District and waterfront were beautiful.

The human size pin-art board at Vendue (we had so much fun!)

From The Rooftop we headed to Waterfront Park to take pictures in front of the pineapple fountain with the tanks I had made the group, then over to the famous Rainbow Row.

The last stop on our afternoon adventure was The Gin Joint. I love the cocktails at The Gin Joint, which serves pretty much everything except vodka. My favorite is the “Bartender’s Choice” where you choose two words such as fruity, spicy, strong, sweet, etc. and the bartender comes up with a drink based on the words. I chose “spicy” and “fruity” and ended up ordering a second of the same because it was that good. The beef jerky here is made in-house and has an awesome flavor.

After some down time and napping off our fun-filled afternoon, we hit up Swig & Swine for dinner. I’m not going to add much here about my opinions regarding South Carolina pulled pork BBQ as they may be too biased, but Swig & Swine had a great selection of meats and all the portions were large. I am picky about my BBQ sides and their's were well made. We ordered take out but their craft beer selection inside also looked solid.

Saturday night we headed to the Market St. area and discovered Pavilion Bar atop the Market Pavilion Hotel (clearly we have a thing for rooftop bars). There is a pool with fountains on the roof and plenty of tables/seating for groups. The atmosphere was lovely and we really enjoyed the night views of the city!

As we finished our drinks I ordered pizza from Pizzeria Di Giovanni to pick up for late night. The single slices are huge but if you’re with a group, go for the 28” pizza! It was a quick walk from the bar and placing the order ahead of time cut down on the wait. The pizza was so big it had to go in the trunk of the Uber but it was perfect late night food!

Sunday:

Before heading home Sunday morning we headed to Hominy Grill for brunch. Make sure you arrive early to avoid the rush, but even the wait is bearable since there is a window to the bar on the outside of the building so you can order bloody marys and mimosas (among other options) while you wait. I love the tin roof ceilings and homey décor inside and the food at Hominy Grill lives up to the hype. I’ve had the fried green tomatoes, salmon potato cakes and shrimp and grits…all of which were great! Their Charleston Nasty Biscuit also looks amazing.

As you can tell we didn’t do a whole lot other than eat and drink in Charleston but it is such a good walking city that you can definitely get your steps in to burn off some of the calories. We barely scratched the surface of all the awesome things to do, see and eat in the Holy City so I’m already looking forward to next trip!